Table structure



Sept. 23, 1969 M. J. MADEY TABLE STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.24, 1968 FIGS Md W ATT'YS Sept. 23, 1969 M. J. MADEY 3,468,592

TABLE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 24, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l 03 x u. aj/

v N) r v v n g '5 g n o ,7 w 1 n MARION J. MADEY ATT'YS United StatesPatent Office Patented Sept. 23, 1969 3,468,592 TABLE STRUCTURE Marion.I. Madey, Park Ridge, 111., assignor to Poster Products, Inc., Chicago,11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 700,250Int. Cl. A47b 96/18; A47f 9/00 US. Cl. 312-140;: Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A table is assembled from shaped edge members, preferablymade of extruded aluminum, secured to resin coated plywood or othersheet material, characterized particularly by top edge members, eachhaving an upwardly extending portion adapted to engage the side edge ofa horizontally disposed table top, a pair of inwardly extending parallelportions adapted to engage the upper and lower sides, respectively, ofsaid table top adjacent said edge and an outwardly extending topportion. Each side edge member also preferably has an outwardlyextending bottom portion adapted to seat on the top edge of a side paneland a downwardly depending portion integral with said bottom portionadapted to be secured to the inside of a side panel adjacent the topedge of such panel. The outwardly extending top portion of the edgemember afiords a lip with an underlying recess which makes it possibleto secure a conventional partition to the table top and also to connecttwo or more tables together. Recessed channels are also provided to runtransversely through the table top to afford a second lip for securingpartitions, to provide means for holding an upright support for displayof articles and also to provide means for holding two or more tablestogether.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improvedtable which can be readily assembled and is especially useful in storesand showrooms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved tablemade from resin coated plywood or other similar sheet material.

A further object of the invention is to provide structural members for atable which are especially useful in making tables from resin coatedplywood and similar sheet materials.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a unique table whichis adapted to receive dividers or partitions on the top thereof so as topermit the separation of goods or articles to be displayed thereon.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a table having aunique top construction which makes it possible to unite it with similartables in a series of two or more tables.

Another object of the invention is to provide a table having a uniquetop construction in which vertical supporting structures can be combinedtherewith and, if desired, combined with similar supporting structureson an adjacent table of similar constructions.

'Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pair of tables constructed inaccordance with the invention and united together;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a typical table top divider orpartition which can be employed to provide compartments on the tops ofthe tables shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken alone the line 3-3 of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 7 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE1; and

FIGURE 8 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE1.

In its essential features each of the tables shown in FIGURE 1 comprisesa table top having shaped edge members, preferably made of extrudedaluminum, said top being resin coated plywood or other similar rigidsheet material, and said edge members consisting of an upwardlyextending portion adapted to engage the side edges of the table top, aninwardly extending portion adapted to engage the lower side of the tabletop adjacent the edge, preferably a pair of inwardly extending portionsto engage the upper and lower sides of the table top, an outwardlyextending top portion which affords a lip around the top of the table,each side edge member, and preferably also each front and back edgemember, having another portion extending outwardly from the bottom ofsaid vertical portions to form a recess, channel or groove around theupper edge of the table, each side edge portion also having a downwardlydepending portion integral with said edge member adapted to be securedto the inside of a side panel adjacent the top edge of said panel, saidtable also having a recessed channel extending from side to side in acentral part of the top to afford a pair of lips for securing partitionmembers and also to provide means for holding an upright support fordisplay of articles and for holding two or more tables together. Whereupright article supports are used, they are preferably constructed ofmetal or other rigid material and comprise one or more tubular membersthat can be secured together in a manner hereinafter more fullydescribed.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, two tables,generally indicated at 1 and 2, are combined. These tables haveessentially the same structure except that table 1 is equipped withsliding doors and table 2 is equipped with a drawer. The side oppositethe front side of each table shown in FIGURE 1 can be the same as thefront side or it can be different. Thus, table 1 can have sliding doorson the opposite side or it can be equipped with a drawer like table 2.Similarly table 2 can be equipped on the opposite side with a drawer orit can be provided with sliding doors like table 1. Where sliding doorsare used, the interior structure can be provided with shelves but thisis a matter of preference and does not constitute a part of theinvention.

Table 1 has a top 3 and a side panel 4. Both are preferably resin coatedplywood panels, for example, inch in thickness with amelamine-formaldehyde or ureaformaldehyde resin (e.g., Formica) thereon.Similarly in table 2 the top 5 preferably consists of a resin coatedplywood panel and the same applies to the side panels which are notshown. The side edge members 6, 6 in table 1 and 7, 7 in table 2 arepreferably made of extruded aluminum and have the cross section shown inFIGURE 3 wherein there is an upwardly extending or vertical portion 8adapted to engage the side edge 9 of the table top 3 and parallelinwardly extending portions 10 and 11 adapted to engage the upper andlower sides respectively of table top 3 adjacent the edge 9. The edgemembers 6 and 7 also each have an outwardly extending top portion 12which provides a lip 13 and an outwardly extending bottom portion 14.The upwardly extending portion 8 and the outwardly extending portions 12and 14 define a recess, channel or groove 15. In addition, each of theside edge members 6 and 7 has a downwardly depending portion 16 integralwith the bottom portion 11 and adapted to be secured to the inside ofthe side panel 4. In the structure shown, the top panel 3 is secured tothe edge member 6 by means of screws 17, or other suitable means, andthe side panel 4 is secured to the edge member 6 by means of screws 18,or other suitable means.

Each of the tables 1 and 2 is provided with a central recessed channelmember generally indicated at 19 and 20, respectively, and shown incross section in FIGURE 4. This channel member is preferably made fromextruded aluminum and consists of a fiat bottom portion 21, upwardlyextending vertical side portions 22 and 23 and inwardly extending upperportions 24 and 25. The por-.

tions 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 define a recessed area 26 and the inwardlyextending portions 24 and 25 provide lips which function in the mannerhereinafter described. The channel member 19 is secured by means ofscrews 27, or other suitable means, to the top panel 3 and since thechannel member 19 is centrally located the screws 27 can also pass intoan inner separating wall 28 which divides table 1 into two interiorcompartments.

In table 1 access to the interior of the table is obtained by means ofsliding doors 29 and 39. The structure of the front edge member 31 isslightly different from the structure of the side edge members 6, 6 inthat the depending portion 16 (FIGURE 3) is omitted in order to providea space for guide members for the sliding doors 29 and 30.

As shown in FIGURE 7, the front edge member 31 has an upwardly extendingvertical portion 32 and outwardly extending upper portion 33, anoutwardly extending portion 34, an inwardly extending upper portion 35and an inwardly extending lower portion 36. The front edge member 31 issecured to the top panel 3 and also to the guide member 37 by means ofscrews 38 or other suitable means. The sliding doors 29 and 30 aresupported by a lower guide member 39 which is secured to a bottom panel40 by means of screws 41, or other suitable means. The structure of theguide members 37 and 39 and the sliding doors 29 and 30 does not form apart of this invention. Any similar type of conventional structure canbe employed.

In table 2 the front edge member 42 is similar to the side edge members7 and the structure is the same as that previously described withrespect to FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 shows a cross section of the side panel .48 of table 2 and thefront panel 46 of the drawer 43.

As shown in FIGURE 8, the drawer 43 is provided with a fitting 44secured by means of screws 45, or other suitable means, to the inside ofthe drawer panel 46. The fitting 44 has a downwardly depending lip 47which makes it possible to open and close the drawer by grasping it withthe fingers. The drawer structure does not form a part of the presentinvention. Other conventional types of drawers can be employed.

The table 1 is supported by legs 49 and table 2 is supported by legs 50in a conventional manner.

A unique feature of the present invention resides in the fact that theupper surface of the table can be divided into compartments using aconventional type partition member 51 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Thepartition member per se is shown in FIGURE 2 and consists of a .plasticsuperstructure 52, the front edge of which is fastened to a plastic clip53 and the back end to a metal clip .54. The clip 53 has an inwardlyprojecting lip 55 and the clip 54 has an inwardly projecting lip 56. Theclips 53 and 54 are made of a resilient material, the clip 54 preferablybeing made of spring metal. The clip 53 is readily secured to the frontedge member 31 by placing the lip 55 over the outwardly extendingportion 33 (see FIGURE 7). The clip 54 is then snapped into place byplacing the lip 56 in the recess of channel member 59 Where the lip 56engages the underside of the inwardlyv extending portion (see FIGURE 4).In this manner a number of partitions 51 can be secured in place asshown in FIGURE 1 and their location can readily be changed in order toaccommodate articles of various sizes. It will readily be seen thatthere is no limit on the number of partitions that can be used with thistype of structure.

Another important feature of the invention is the provision of uprightarticle supports generally shown at 57 and 58 in FIGURE 1. These articlesupports preferably consist of hollow extruded aluminum or stainlesssteel and in table 1 comprise an upper horizontal member 59 and a lowerhorizontal member 60. Similarly in table 2 there is an upper horizontalmember 61 and a lower horizontal member 62. The horizontal members 59and 60 are secured by welding or in any other suitable manner tovertical members 63 in table 1 and vertical members 64in table 2. Thevertical members 63, 64 are also preferably made of extruded aluminum orstainless steel and are hollow and rectangular in cross section. Theyare provided with slots or apertures 65 which are spaced vertically andpermit the insertion of various types of horizontally extending supportsor hangers, not shown. These can be used to display various types ofmerchandise. An optional feature is the provision of a rectangular frame66 at one end of the structure 58 which is secured to the horizontalmembers 61 and 62 in any suitable manner. This can also be used tosupport merchandise or as a frame for printed advertising matter.

The horizontal member 60 is elevated above the table top 3 in table 1 bymeans of supports 67. Similarly the horizontal member 62 in table 2 iselevated above the table top by means of supports 68. These supports 67and 68 can be secured to the respective horizontal members 61 and 62 bymeans of screws or in any other suitable manner. The lower portion ofeach support can be shaped so as to have a recess on either side thatwill permit it to slide in the space between portions 24 and 25 of thechannel bar 19. In this way it can be inserted into the end of thechannel bar and moved along to the proper position. Any other suitablemeans can be employed to secure the supports 67 to the channel bar 19.Similarly the supports 68 can be secured to the channel bar 20 in table2. The supports 67 and 68 should have sufiicient vertical heighth sothat the clip 54 of the partition member 51 (FIGURE 2) can be insertedeasily underneath the members 60 and 62.

When table 1 is combined with table 2 to form a single unit as shown inFIGURE 1 it is preferable to use connecting members as illustrated inFIGURE 6. Thus, a connecting member 69 is employed to connect themembers 59 and 61. The connecting member 69 consists of a hollow memberor a block 70 and outwardly extending members 71 and 72 which have aslightly smaller depth than the central member 7 0 so that they will fitinside the tubular members 59 and 61, respectively. The connectingmembers 70 can then be secured to the tubular members 59 and 61 in anysuitable manner, for example, by means of screws 73, 73.

The lower horizontal tubular members 60 and 62 are secured together bymeans of a connecting member 74 which is similar to the connectingmember 70. However, the connecting member 74 is supported by a tubularsupporting member 75 which can be a separate piece. The supportingmember 75 is mounted over the opening between edge members 6 and 7 whichhave the structure shown in FIGURE 3. There is enough clearance betweenthe edge members 6 and 7 to permit the passage of a screw or bolt 76which is threadedly engaged with an elongated bar-like member 77. Thelatter extends several inches or more on both sides of the screw or bolt76. When the screw or bolt 76 is tightened, the upper parts of the edgemembers 6 and 7 are clamped between the tubular member 75 and the barmember 77, thereby producing a rigid connection between table 1 andtable 2.

In a similar manner more than two tables can be joined together toproduce, if desired, a store length table adapted to hold various typesof articles of merchandise. The invention is especially advantageousbecause of the simplicity of construction and particularly on account ofthe ease with which partitions can be applied to the table top and twoor more tables can be combined.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A table comprising a table top, side walls, and edge members on theedges of the table top connected to the side walls, said edge memberseach having an upwardly extending portion adapted to engage a verticalside edge of the table top, an inwardly extending portion connected tothe bottom of said upwardly extending portion and adapted to engage thebottom side of said table top adjacent the edge thereof, an outwardlyextending portion connected to the top of said upwardly extendingportion adapted to form a lip, said lip extending along the front andside edges of said table and a recessed channel member in a central partof said table extending parallel to the front of the table and providinga lip extending along said channel member whereby partition membershaving resilient clips thereon can be snapped into engagement on oneside with the lip of said channel member and on the other side with alip of said edge member, the central portion of said table containing aplurality of horizontal tubular members connected by vertical tubularmembers and supported above said channel member by supporting membersengaged Within said channel member, said vertically extending membersbeing provided with means to support display devices.

2. A table as claimed in claim 1 in which the side edge membersconnected to the table top also have a portion which is integral withthe inwardly extending bottom portion of said edge member and extendsdownwardly and is secured to the inside of a side panel of said tableadjacent the top edge of such panel.

3. A plurality of tables as claimed in claim 1 comprising means to holdthem together through the edge members.

4. A plurality of tables as claimed in claim 3 in which said means forholding said tables together comprises a bar adapted to fit in a recessbeneath the lips of said edge members, said bar having a threadedopening therein and a threaded clamping element engaging the threads insaid opening and clamping the lips of adjoining edge members together.

5. A plurality of tables as claimed in claim 1 combined as a unit andheld together at least in part by connecting members engaging saidhorizontal members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,265,708 12/1941 Westbrook etal. 312-1403 2,743,148 4/1956 Tedaldi 312-1403 3,110,531 11/1963 Nowicki312140.3 3,169,810 2/1965 Levy et al. 312-1403 3,308,963 3/1967 Peacock312-1403 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner I. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner

